Flash-light system.



No. 654,82]. Patented my 3|, I900.

, m. wmamf FLASH LIGHT SYSTEM.

' (Application filed 4 2a, 1900.

(No Model.) v 2 SheeisSh6ei N 1904:9101 B y zz gwq llorgc ys,

.JHFNORRKS FEYEHS cu, PHOTO-LITNO, wwnmcmn. a. r

N0. 654,82l. Patented July 3|, I900. M. WRIGHT.

FLASH LIGHT SYSTEM.

(Application filed Apr. 28, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheats8heot 2.

:F I 5 El 41 Hdfigzsses j (5.

NETE

' SATES" PATENT Cri ics,

MARTIN WRIGHT, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

FLASH-LIGHT SYSTEM.

srnorrroarrrort forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,821, dated July31, 1900. Application flied April 28, 1900. Serial No. 14,698. (110model.)

1% ctZZ whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I, MARTIN WRIGHT, a cilizen of the United States,residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Flash- Light System, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to lighting systems in general, and moreparticularly to electriclighting systems wherein a plurality of lightsor series of lights are alternately out into and then out of thelighting-circuit, so that there are series of flashes, each flash beingmade by a separate light or series of lights until they have all beensuccessively cut in and out of circuit, the cycle being repeated as manytimes as desired.

One object of the present invention is to provide such a systemincluding an automatic circuit-closer which operates in connection witha plurality of separate local circuits, all energized from the samebattery and each separate circuit including an electrically-operatedswitch which acts to out into and out of circuit a lamp or a bank oflamps in a branch from the lighting-circuit when its local circuit isclosed by the circuit-closer. It is of course understood that'each bankof lamps has a separate switch and that the several banks are connectedin multiple arc in the main lighting-circuit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientconstruction of automatic circuit-closer which will operate to close andopen the local circuits of the several switches and which may be set tocut out the entire system of lights at a predetermined time.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from thefollowing description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the several circuitsconnected with the automatic circuit-closenwhich latter is shown in planView. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section taken through thecircuit-closer and showing parts of the structure in elevation. Fig. Sisan elevation showing a form of electrically operated switch which may be.dle 7, vvhic used in the system. Fig. 4 isan enlarged sectional viewshowing the adjustable contacts for closing the circuit through theelectrically-operated switch which controls the main lighting-circuit.

Referring now to the drawings, the present system includes a mastercircuit-closer and circuit-breaker which is operated by clockwork, andconsists of a preferably disk-shaped base 5, of insulating material,having a central openin 6, through which projects a spinl1 is rotated ata suitable speed through the medium of a clockwork contained in a casing8, secured to the back of the base 5, the details of the clockwork beingnot shown. The spindle 7 is of metal, and carried thereby is acircuit-closing arm 9, having a depending contact or commutator brush 10at its outer end, which is adapted to sweep over the face of the base 5when the spindle is rotated.

Encircling the spindle 7 is a sleeve 11,- which is of metal and projectsbeyond the base 5, but terminates short of the outer arm 9, and fixedupon this sleeve is a contact-arm 13,

which is rotated by the clockwork through the medium of the sleeve, thisarm 13 being in effect the ordinary hour-hand of a clock. The outer endof the arm 13 traverses but does not touch a metallic dial ring or plate16, which is fixed upon the base 5, and it is provided upon its outerface with the usual clocknumerals, as shown. This contact-arm 13 isadapted to engage the post 17 of a second contact-arm 18, mounted in aninsulating-collar 19, which is loosely mounted upon the sleeve 7 11 andis held in its proper position thereon and against rotatable movement byspokes 20,which radiate therefrom and are connected at their outer endswith the ring or plate 16.

The contact-arm 18 rests upon the dial plate or ring 16 and inelectrical contact therewith, and hence when the arm 13 engages the post17 it is brought into electrical connection with the dial-plate. Thus itwill be seen that inasmuch as the arm 13 is the hour hand of a clock andthe dial-plate forms the face of a clock the contact-arm 18 may be setwith its outer end upon any portion of the dial-plate, and the arm 13will make contact with the post thereof at the time which corresponds tothe'position of the arm 18, and a circuit including the two arms 13 and18 may be closed at any predetermined time.

In operative relation to the contact-brush and upon the upper face ofthe insulatingbase 5 is aseriesof commutator-bars21,which are radiallydisposed and arranged equidistant, so that as the commutator-brushsweeps around it will make contact with the bars successively. In thepresent instance two concentric circular series of binding-posts 22 and23 are fixed to the upper face of the base 5, the commutator-bars 21being connected alternately to the successive inner and outer posts.

In the practical application of this circuitcloser there is employed aplurality of banks of lamps 25, 26, and 27. In the present instance onlythree banks are shown; but it will of course be understood thatadditional banks may be connected in the system up to the entirecapacity of the circuitcloser. The system is shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, in which 30 and 31 represent the main circuitwires which feedthe current to the lamps, and the bank of lamps is arranged in multiplebetween two wires 32 and 33, of which the wire 32 is connected directlywith the linewire or main wire 30, while the wire 33 is connected withline-wire 31 through an electrically-operated switch. (Shown in detailin Fig. This switch 3% comprises two opposing electromagnets 35 and 36,having their cores in mutual alinement, and between them is disposed anarmature 37, with which is connected directly the wire 33. Acontactpiece 38 is disposed for contact by the armature 37 when moved inthe direction and under the influence of the magnet 35, and when theopposing magnet 36 is energized the armature is moved thereby from thecontact 33 to rest against a stop 40, the contact being connected withwire through the medium of ashort connection 41. Similarelectricallyoperated switches 4:2 and 43 are provided for the banks oflamps 26 and 27, so that by closing first the circuit including magnetand then closing a circuit including magnet 36 the corresponding bank oflamps will be first cut into circuit with the main line and then cut outtherefrom.

In order to energize the several electromagnets at the proper times, abattery 45 or other source of electricity has one terminal connected bymeans of wire 46 with one end of the winding of each of theeleetromagnets, said wire thus forming a common return for the localcircuits including the several magnets, while the other terminal of thebattery is connected to a binding-post a7, mounted upon the casing S,from which electrical con nection is made with spindle 7 and sleeve 11either through a direct wire or through the frame of the clockwork andother metallic parts in the well-known manner. The second terminal ofthe winding of magnet 35 of switch 34 is connected with post 48 of theouter series of binding-posts upon the base 5.

The second terminal of winding of magnet 36 of the same switch isconnected with post 49 of the inner series. The second terminal ofwinding of magnet 35 of switch 4:2 is connected with post 50 of theouter series, and the second terminal of winding of magnet 36 of thesame switch is connected with post 50. The second terminal of winding ofmagnet of switch 43 is connected with post 52, and the second terminalof winding of the magnet 36 ot the same switch is connected with postThus as the arm 9 rotates to engage its brush with the commutator-barswhen the brush strikes the bar or post t8 the circuit from the batteryis through a cut-out 5th to post 4C7, through clockwork'frame to spindle7, to arm 9, through brush 10, to commutator-bar, to post 48, to magnet35 of switch 31, by way of wire 55, to common return M5 to battery, theresult being that the armature 37 is operated to engage the contact 38.The local lighting-circuit of lamps 25 is then closed between wires 30and 31, the circuit from wire 30 being through wire 32, through lamps 25in multiple, through wire 33, to armature 37, to contact 38, and throughwire 41 to wire 31, with the result that the lamps are energized. As thearm 0 moves onward it leaves the commutator-bar connected with post t8and comes into contact with the bar connected with post 49, when thecircuit through magnet 35 is broken. A new local circuit is, however,closed through magnet 36, the circuit from battery &5 being the same asin the former instance as far as the brush 10, after which the circuitis through commutator-bar connected with post 49 to said post, thencethrough wire 56 to the second terminal of magnet 36, and thence throughcommon return to to battery 45, the result being that the magnet 3b isenergized and the armature 37 attracted from the contact 33 to breakthelocal lighting-circuit, which includes the lamps The brush 10 nextengages the commutatorbar that is connected with post 50, when themagnet 35 of switch 42 is operated to close the local lighting-circuitincluding lamps 20, and when the brush engages the succeedingcommutator-bar the magnet 36 of switch $2 is energized to break thecircuit of lamps 26, all of which will be understood by those skilled inthe art and without giving the specific explanation and tracing of eachcircuit, all being similar to that above described in connection withswitch 34. If after a certain duration it is desired to cut out all ofthe lamps permanently, it is of course necessary to open the main line,and for this purpose a common form of electrically-operated cut-out 57is provided and is placed in the wire 30 or, if preferred, in the wire31, it being of course desirable that said switch have also means foroperating it manually when desired. This switch comprises the usualelectromagnet, (not shown,) and one terminal of this electromagnet isconnected with the common return 46, while the other terminal isconnected. by

means of wire 58 with a binding-post 59,which is in turn connected withthe dial-plate 16 through conductor 60. Thus when the contact-arm 13engages the post 17 the circuit 5 from battery 45 will be to post 47 andthence through clockwork-frame to sleeve 11 and arm 13, from which thecurrent will pass to post 17 and arm 18 to dial-plate 16, through wireto post 59, and through wire 58 to the second terminal of the magnet ofswitch or cut-out 57, thus energizing said magnet and opening thecut-out. Thus at whatever time the arm 18 is set the entire system willbe out from the main lighting-circuit.

Any number of the banks of lamps maybe simultaneously illuminated orenergized by connecting their corresponding binding-posts of the outerseries in circuit, and if their corresponding posts of the inner seriesbe not connected then they will be successively eX- tinguished. In thismanner the arm 13 may be properly timed in its rotation, and the postsmay be so connected that all the lamps will be simultaneously energizedand then denergized successively or in groups, the entire number oflamps being deenergized finally, this result requiring proper wiring ofthe apparatus; also, by first connecting all of the outer series ofbinding-posts with the battery 45 and then opening the switch 54 theentire number of lamps will be placed in circuit and will remain thereinuntil the switch or cut-out 57 is energized in the manner above stated,when the whole number of lamps will be cut out.

It will of course be understood that in practice the specificconstruction and arrangement shown and described may be altered and thatother changes may be made, such as increasing or diminishing the nu mberof commutator-bars and corresponding bars, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

What is claimed is line wires, a plurality of banks of lamps connectedacross the main line, an electricallyoperated switch for the circuit ofeach bank of lamps for cutting the banks of lamps into and out of themain line, an electrically-operated switch for opening and closingthe 1. A flash-light system comprising mainoperated switch for openingand closing the circuit of each bank of lamps, an electricallyoperatedswitch for opening and closing the circuit of the main line, acircuit-closer comprising a contact included in each circuit of eachelectrically-operated lamp-switch, a shiftable contact forming oneterminal of the main-line switch, a contact-arm for engagement with saidcontacts, and a battery connected with said arm, said battery beingcommon to all the circuits of the electrically-operated switches.

3. A flash-light system comprising mainline wires, a plurality of banksof lamps connected across-the main line, an electricallyoperated switchfor the circuit of each bank of lamps for cutting the lamps into and outof circuit, an electrically-operated switch for opening and closing themain line, a source of energy for the. several circuits of the switches,and a circuit-closer for the several switch-operating circuits, saidcloser including a series of contacts forming each one terminal of aswitch-operating circuit and a movable arm for engagement with thecontacts and forming the second terminal of all the switch-operatingcircuits of the banks of lamps, a shiftable contact forming one terminalof the operating-circuit of the main line, a movable arm for engagementwith the lastnamed contact and forming the second terminal of thecircuit of the main-line switch, and a clock mechanism connected withthe arms for operating them.

4. An automatic switch comprising a base of insulating material having aplurality of radial commu tator-bars fixed thereto, abinding postelectrically connected with each bar, a spindle, a contact-arm mountedupon the spindle and adapted for contact with the commutator-bars, asleeve mounted upon the spindle and movable independently thereof,

a contact-arm carried by the sleeve, a dialplate disposed to betraversed by the arms, a contact which is shiftable over the dial and inelectrical contact therewith and lies in the path of movement of thesecond contact-arm, and a bindingpost electrically connected with thearms, said dial-plate being adapted for connection of a wire therewith.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

STEPHE W. KEARNY, MASON WILLIAMs.

